Bail set for burglary, kidnapping, theft charges

FARMINGTON — Three men charged in a Halloween crime spree that included holding a couple at gunpoint, robbing them and kidnapping one of them, made an initial court appearance Wednesday via videotape from Franklin County Detention Center.

Twelfth District Court Judge Valarie Stanfill set bail at $50,000 cash for Kevin Crandall, 27, of Wilton and Michael Kidd, 20, of Chesterville, and $30,000 cash for Marcus Thompson, 26, of Farmington for seven charges from Monday.

Crandall and Kidd also face a charge of violation of condition of release for past charges. Stanfill ordered them held without bail on those charges pending an upcoming bail revocation hearing.

Monday’s felony charges for each of the three included robbery, kidnapping, criminal threatening, two counts of burglary and two counts of theft of firearms.

The robbery and kidnapping charges carry a maximum sentence of 30 years and a mandatory minimum sentence of four years, along with probation and fines, Stanfill told them. The maximum sentence for the burglary and theft charges is 10 years.

Crandall faces an eighth charge of violating bail conditions, which carries a maximum five-year sentence and $5,000 fine, she said.

Assistant District Attorney James Andrews told the court additional charges are expected in the case.

According to court records, cash, credit and debit cards, a handgun, rifle, jewelry and a camera were stolen from a Hilltop Estates residence Monday afternoon. It was discovered when children living there arrived home from school.

A neighbor told police he saw a blue sedan with two or three males in the car in the neighborhood. He was able to give police a description of the driver and vehicle.

Police later responded to a burglary on the Lucy Knowles Road on Monday night where a .357 Ruger handgun, an iPod, a PS3, an Xbox 360, a camera and cash were missing. The owner believed the burglary occurred between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.

At 7:26 p.m., police checked on a vehicle parked in a field, about 25 yards from the roadway, at Seamon and Knowlton Corner roads. The blue Ford matched the description previously given.

The vehicle was registered to Michael Kidd’s girlfriend. Police saw him driving the vehicle earlier Monday. Kidd was arrested Tuesday at the girlfriend’s High Street home in Farmington, which was searched by police.

Outside court, the girlfriend said she didn’t know about the crimes until police arrived at her doorstep Tuesday.

Police spotted a container of marijuana inside the parked car Monday, in plain view, and a search revealed nine firearms in the trunk. Two of the firearms matched the description of ones stolen in the burglaries.

Crandall and Thompson were tracked by a police dog, found and arrested on the Seamon Road. Each had a large amount of cash on them. A bag of jewelry and several cameras were located nearby, ones identified as being stolen in the earlier burglaries, according to the court affidavit.

Crandall also had a prescription bottle belonging to one of the burglary victims.

On Tuesday, a couple who live in that area told police that Monday at about 6:45 p.m. three masked men entered their home, held them at gunpoint and displayed knives. The husband was thrown down on the floor. Two men looted their home while the third held the wife at gunpoint, police said. More than a thousand dollars in cash, jewelry and prescription medication were taken.

Two men took the husband to an ATM machine while the third stayed with the wife. They were told not to talk with police or the men would return and kill them, police said.

During separate interviews Tuesday, Crandall and Thompson told police the three had committed the robbery, kidnapping and thefts. Crandall stayed at the home while the other two took the husband to to the ATM machine, police said.

At the court proceeding Wednesday, bail conditions set for the three also included no use or possession of drugs or alcohol, random testing for these, no contact or return to the properties of the victims and no contact with their co-defendants.

Thompson’s bail was reduced to $30,000 cash because previous charges only included disorderly conduct and violation of conditions of release dating back to 2005. He is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 16 but a bail review could take place earlier.

Kidd was out on bail on a charge of trafficking in drugs, Andrews told the judge. He has a bail revocation hearing set for Nov. 10 and was also ordered to appear in court Dec. 16.

Crandall also has previous charges for which he’s being held without bail. A lawyer standing in for the suspects Wednesday said Crandall has had heart attacks, has three stents and needs nitroglycerin.

The judge reassured Crandall that the detention center would take care of his health issues. He is expected in court Nov. 18 for a bail revocation hearing and again for a status check Dec. 16.

abryant@sunjournal.com